Glibc: --enable=kernel=???

[Bruce Dubbs]

Ken Moffat wrote:

>  I suggest that the command in the book should be '--enable-current'
> and therefore testers using jhalfs will use that.  The first time it
> is mentioned, it should be followed by an explanation, with a
> warning that earlier kernels than the specified version cannot be
> used, and a further note for testers that building on an old kernel
> with --enable-current and then using the new system to build itself
> with the same flag will result in a different glibc, and if they
> need repeatability they should specify the old kernel version in the
> second set of builds.  We should also warn people that they will be
> unable to use a kernel older than the version they specify.  And a
> big warning for people with a _newer_ kernel than is in the book
> that they should use --enable-kernel=x.y.z (to match the book's
> kernel version) otherwise they will not be able to use the book's
> kernel.

I thingk the option you are referring to is --enable-kernel=current, not
--enable-curent.

My suggestion is to use, --enable-kernel=2.6.11.12.  The reason I choose
that version is that it is the version in LFS 6.1.1.  That version of
LFS is the oldest in SVN and that version of the kernel was released
12-Jun-2005.

This should be old enough for almost any halfway recent distro.  I do
not see an overriding benefit to current.  It just seems like an
aggressive optimization to me.

I do agree that the books should discuss this option in a bit more
detail than it does now to explain the pros and cons and to mention the
=current option.

  -- Bruce